first two miles after i leave my house just because the way the lights are timed. >> reporter: conducting the survey helps identify traffic issues but there's also a monetary incentive. the only way san ramon police officers can write speeding tickets that stick is for the city to have a valid speed survey. without one, it's easier for drivers to win challenges in court. so you will be able to go faster now in some parts but go too fast and it's more likely you will have to pay up. >> san ramon is good about giving tickets. a lot of people are conscientious about that. >> reporter: the city will put up 15 new signs costing about $5,000 and the new enforcement begins february 22. in san ramon, ann notarangelo, kpix 5. mobile5 is live driving around san francisco. ken bastida the bay area is now equal to los angeles in terms of congestion. >> reporter: yeah. it's a real mess out here, elizabeth, as you know, trying to get to the bridge in the

afternoon. we're stuck on battery street, one of the main arteries getting to the bay bridge so the folks at texas a & m university's traffic institute wanted to do a study. they did it basically looking back at the 2011 numbers to figure out how many hours are wasted driving every day by commuters. that it's about 5.5 billion hours across country from commuters. where's the worst commute traffic? well, it's in washington, d.c., believe it or not. a 30-minute commute there can take up to three hours in rush hour traffic. what's next? well, believe it or not, it is los angeles and with 15 million people that's not hard to figure that one out. then third, it's san francisco- oakland. we have some of the worst commute traffic in the country. about $800 is what they figure each person wastes who has to commute on average across this country. and get this, as the economy

gets better, they say traffic only goes up. >> we have seen the congestion in the past sort of rise essentially when the economy has done better. >> reporter: all right. 56billion pounds of carbon dioxide thrown up into the atmosphere here in the united states every year from commuters. and so here's the situation as we wait to cross market street stuck in traffic, eating up money and time. in mobile5, i'm ken bastida, kpix 5. the man accused of hitting a woman and her children has been arrested. the driver hit the family, the police say, just before 6 p.m. last night. the woman and her one and seven- year-old children were in the crosswalk. the 7-year-old girl was on a bicycle. the 1-year-old was in a stroller. investigators tracked down 24-

year-old noe delgado a short time later. pittsburg police say that the public was a big help in finding him. >> witnesses gave good descriptions to our officers of the vehicle and the suspects. he was arrested. >> delgado is charged with felony hit-and-run. the mother and her children are now out of the hospital. surveillance video captured a deadly high-speed crash in oakland involving a stolen car. police say the jeep was taken moments before it slammed into that honda at 36th and foothill yesterday. the woman behind the wheel of the stolen jeep was killed. the honda driver was not seriously hurt. the pedestrian in the path of the crash escaped without a scratch. it's a lawsuit that could be worth billions of dollars for the state. california is suing standard & poor's, the debt rating agency that gave high marks to failed

mortgage-backed investments. attorney general kamala harris announced the lawsuit today in washington. the suit says s&p inflated its rating of certain mortgage- backed investments costing state pension funds big money. >> california lost almost $1 billion attributable to is and p's conduct. today we insist that s&p accept responsibility for its role in the crisis and for its conduct. >> s&p could be liable for up to 3 times the losses claimed. standard & poor's denies the allegations. wall street reboundedded today gaining back what most of what it lost yesterday. the dow was up nearly 100 points following several strong earnings reports and a surge in home prices. the s&p 500 and nasdaq were also up. president obama's trying to balance the budget right now. his sights are on a smaller deal in order to head off automatic spending cuts that kick in march 1. cbs reporter

danielle nottingham explains from washington. >> reporter: president obama is calling on congress to stop massive automatic across-the- board spending cuts with a short-term fix. >> our economy right now is headed in the right direction, and it will stay that way as long as there aren't any more self-inflicted wounds coming out of washington. >> reporter: last year congress and the president signed off on the automatic cuts to force themselves to deal with the nation's skyrocketing debt. the original deadline was january 1st. and when they couldn't reach a larger budget deal then, they postponed it to march 1st. the white house wants another short-term fix to head off a hit to the fragile economy and give lawmakers more time to work out a 10-year plan. >> we should give them the chance to come up with this budget instead of making indiscriminate cuts now that will cost us jobs and significantly slow down our recovery. >> reporter: the president continued to push an approach that includes more taxes along with spending cuts. but house speaker john boehner says tax hikes are out of the

question. >> every month under president obama, kind of feels the same. high unemployment, rising prices, and more debt for our children and grandchildren. >> reporter: speaker boehner says he does not want another temporary fix. some house republicans have indicated they will let the automatic cuts take effect if there is no long-term agreement to reduce the deficit. those cuts would take a bite out of military spending and domestic programs, including a 2% hit to medicare. danielle nottingham, cbs news, the white house. they are coming to california because this is where it is. he is not going to lubbock or wherever the places are that make up that state. >> those other places. [ laughter ] >> governor brown takes aim at texas. why he is going toe to toe with the lone star state. >> it's cleanout time. the 49ers report one more time to empty their lockers. coach harbaugh's final thoughts on the season. >> good evening to you, meteorologist paul deanno.

we could use some rain around here. we really need snow in the mountains. the snowpack is dropping. we are now down to 83%. there is no rain coming from those clouds right there. but there is some rain in the extended forecast. find out when it will arrive coming up. >> and potent mixer. the reason diet soda and alcohol make for a more dangerous concoction.

k-p-i-x 5's len ramirez tells us... it was a bitter- sweet end to a spectacular season for the len? 49ers players were back at team headquarters today to clean out their lockers. kpix 5's len ramirez tells us it was a bittersweet end to a truly spectacular season for the 9ers. len. >> reporter: exactly right, elizabeth. this was a great season for the 49ers. a lot of great victories, the nfc championship. the players wanted the super bowl ring. they didn't get it and you have to feel from talking to them todaththey are taking this loss very bitterly. reporter: it was a sad day in the 49ers clubhouse with the sting of the super bowl loss still showing on the faces of

players like colin kaepernick, the 49ers packed up after their final team meeting disbanded. what do you think people will say about this team this year? >> we had a good team. we just weren't quite there. >> reporter: you could also hear it in their voices, heartbreak of coming up just five yards shy of a world championship. >> we lost. you know? you know, we fought hard as a team. it just didn't come our way. >> disappointed, but, you know, also proud of the season we had. i don't think anybody is hanging their heads. had a great year, had a great run. unfortunately, we came up short. >> reporter: but they came so far. coach harbaugh said the 49ers learned how to be winners. >> they played up to the hype. they played up to the competition at the game's highest level. with winners, it's always the case, you feel half full right

now. i mean, it's a glass half full feeling of what you accomplished. i think that's understandable and indicative of guys who are winners. >> reporter: many of the players won't be here next year. so there were goodbyes, souvenir-taking and autographs. in times like these, the pain of the present gives way to hope for the future and the future for most of these guys begins right away. >> i just use this as motivation. we got a young team, young quarterback, young guys, young runningbacks. so take a week off or two, just get back to hitting it again. >> reporter: and colin kaepernick will be coming into the 2013 season as qb one and for him it's going to be a short off season. in fact just a week or so. he plans to go to atlanta next week with some of his receivers and already begin their spring workouts. in santa clara, len ramirez, kpix 5. tired of crying kids and wound-up toddlers disrupting

your flight? one airline could be setting a trend. how it's come up with an in- flight kid-free zone. >> these days it's difficult to avoid getting a cold. in tonight's healthwatch, dr. kim has the five ways to fight the common cold and stay healthy.

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chopper 5 is live overhead . dating breaking news in sonoma county, three people found shot to death in sebastopol near the iron horse vineyards. a relative found the bodies after returning home this afternoon. right now, they say there's no official word on whether it was a murder-suicide. but investigators say they are not looking for a shooter. we'll bring more details to you as we get the information. the nightmare is over. but it will be a long time before things return to normal for a 5-year-old boy held hostage for nearly a week. ethan was rescued yesterday afternoon after the fbi stormed an underground bunker and killed the gunman holding the little boy hostage in midland city, alabama. ethan is reportedly okay physically. the family isn't sure yet how he was doing mentally. the boy has a disorder similar to autism. >> i'm just proud that ethan is

going to be able to come back to school. we're looking forward to the day that he walks back in with open arms. >> he turns 6 tomorrow. they will throw him a birthday party when he returns to class. the future of medical marijuana was put in the california supreme court's hands today. the court took up a case from riverside county where dispensaries are banned. while dispensaries are more commonplace in the bay area, other cities see them as public nuisances. today complex legal arguments were boiled down to this. >> the issue before the court is whether a municipality may ban what state law has made law. and i think that that's the core issue. >> right now seriously ill californians have the right to use marijuana for legitimate medical purposes. the courted met in special session today at university -- the court met in special said today at university of san

francisco law school, currently celebrating its 100th birthday. california governor brown is pushing back against ads from texas trying to lure california companies to the lone star state. he says there is really no good reason to move. >> a lot of these texans that come here, they don't go back. who would want to spend, you know, their summers in 110- degree heat inside some kind of a fossil fueled air- conditioner? not a smart way to go. >> texas governor rick perry regularly travels to california trying to convince companies to move their operations using a special fund called the texas enterprise fund. however, texas lawmakers have expressed some concern that the governor not using the fund properly. they have suspended money for the program while it's being reevaluated. gas prices are on the rise and drivers are feeling the pain. in l.a. they are paying more than $5 for a gallon of regular unleaded. the national average price for a gallon is up 17 cents from

just a week ago. and high gas prices could be here to stay. >> at least for a few more months. kpix 5 consumerwatch reporter julie watts on what's fueling that increase. reporter: it's back! gasoline at or near $4 a gallon. and in san francisco, drivers are strategizing about how to fill up their tanks. >> put just a little bit in and then make it across the bridge. [ laughter ] >> and then go to another spot that's cheaper. >> east palo alto. >> reporter: prices at the pump have been increasing a penny a day for the last month in california and aaa says there are many reasons why. >> we have had some refinery issues, some plant shutdowns and others that weren't planned. also, there have been an increase in the price of crude oil and more consumption by consumers. >> reporter: not to mention the turmoil in algeria and other oil-producing nations. but cheap or expensive, how

much americans pay for gasoline over the long term is fueling calls for change. a new report by an environmental watchdog group estimates the typical american car owner will spend more than $22,000 on gas over the lifetime of an average vehicle. >> that's a lot of money. it actually could be as much or more money than you spent on the vehicle itself. >> reporter: and that total could be going up. many analysts expect gas prices will stay high or go higher over the next few months. not the road most drivers would choose but most won't have a choice. >> you need it, you're going to buy it regardless of the price. >> reporter: the state average for gas is about 3.54 but in the bay area, expect to pay somewhere between 30 and 50 cents more than that. and remember, if you have a consumer question or problem, give us a call, 1-888-5-helps- u. >> thank you. well, we have made it very easy for you to find the best gas prices in your

neighborhood. just head to our website, cbssf.com/gas for a map of the lowest prices in the bay area. you fly a lot? some airline passengers now have the option to fly in a child-free zone. children younger than 12 are no longer allowed to sit in the first 7 rows on certain air asia x flights. passengers pay an extra $11 to $36 for those rows. the quiet zones have softer lighting, divider curtains, separate restrooms. it primarily serves china, taiwan, australia. >> we have been spoiled. we have been totally spoiled and now it's time to kind of face reality of the rainy season. i hate to say it, but we need the rain. folks love the sunshine. you've gotten outside, haven't you? now it's time to pay the piper. we are talking about a significant deficit of rainfall in our rainy season. we got a lot in november and

december, zero in january. mount diablo hiding behind the clouds. we have had clouds outside but they are thinning out. that is our san jose cam. a beautiful sunset with partly sunny skies. livermore 54. oakland 57. even when we get a front moving through as it moved through today we cannot get any rainfall. that will change this week. kpix 5 hi-def doppler is dry once again. we are 0 for february us this far. we are going to clear things out tonight. that means another chilly night. get the heater ready in san rafael. 39. 38 concord. redwood city 40. you notice the morning was a lot cloudier than the afternoon. that's because the boundary moved through. and now we can see that cloud cover pushing down to the south and east moving away from the bay area. that's the first of two fronds that will give us this week. what we will have tomorrow even with the sunshine will be that onshore flow. so it will be breezy out there and chilly with temperatures likely only in the mid- to upper 50s. second front the one that gets here on thursday will give us

some rain. will it bust the rainfall deficit? no. only .25" of rainfall. buttoned of the week will be showery both thursday and friday with a chance of showers. a little bit of fog tomorrow morning along the coast north bay valleys, then we're sunny. showers will get here thursday morning. we will have on-and-off showers for two days both thursday and friday. highs tomorrow upper 50s close to average. but with the breeze it will feel chilly. 58 concord and san jose. palo alto tomorrow 57. pleasant hill 59. hump day san ramon 57 degrees. napa 58. and mid-50s for kentfield, mill valley, sausalito and san francisco. we are looking at an extended forecast with that chance of showers on thursday and friday. over the weekend, here comes the sunshine once again. but it will still be brisk upper 50s, low 60s. next week we are dry once again. we'll be right back.

well, well, well. growing up, we didn't have u-verse. we couldn't record four shows at the same time. in my day, you were lucky if you could record two shows. and if mom was recording her dumb show and dad was recording his dumb show then, by george, that's all we watched. and we liked it! today's

kids got it so good. [ male announcer ] get u-verse tv for just $19 a month for 1 year when you bundle tv and internet. rethink possible. evening news. scott pelley's in new york. " " mixing a let's check in with a look at what's coming up tonight on the "cbs evening news." >> scott pelley is in new york. >> reporter: hi, allen and liz. great to be with you in san

francisco. we have learned that the fbi has found bombs where a 5-year- old boy was being held in alabama. and we have learned what led the gunman to attack a school bus in search of hostages. we'll have that and more tonight on the "cbs evening news" at 5:30 right after kpix 5 news. mixing alcohol with diet soda may be a good move for your waistline but may not be the best choice for your brain. new study found diet mixers boosted blood alcohol levels faster than regular sugared sodas. possibly explanation? die the drinks speed through the stomach faster because there is less to digest. coughing, sneezing, sore throat, the common cold is going around. but dr. kim has five ways to avoid it. >> reporter: what do you do to fight the common cold? >> put on like six layers of clothing and get in the sauna

and sit for four hours to get better. >> i try to stay away from sick people. >> best thing you can do is just hit the gym. >> reporter: what really works? for starters try yogurt. there's proof that eating yogurt wards off sinus pressure and the sniffles. >> there's some evidence for prevention with things like probiotics, like lactobacillus, things in yogurt. >> reporter: garlic may boost your immune system and an orange a day may keep the doctor away. >> vitamin c may be helpful for prevention of the common cold and as far as we can tell it's not necessarily helpful for treating it once you have the cold. >> reporter: vitamin c is shown to cut the risk of the cold in half. small studies have found elderberry extract may treat or represent a cold. >> zinc can be helpful in prevention and treatment. >> reporter: doctors are concerned zinc can damage your sense of smell.

other products might damage your pocketbook. >> people really want echinacea to work. there are studies but they can't find a way it helps the cold. >> reporter: another myth buster antibiotics don't help. but once you have a cold, it's all about fining relief. >> when it comes to the cold, we don't have anything that cures it so really it's about symptoms control. if chicken soup makes you feel better, you should definitely take it. >> reporter: so my best advice? wash your hands, wash your hands, wash your hands. try not to touch your face. and if you are sick, stay home and get plenty of rest. >> the cold can get more serious. >> reporter: it sure can. >> all right. thank you. >> stay with us. we'll be right back.

cheap. why so many bay area ners might have new at 6:00 you might be forced to renovate your home and it won't be cheap. why so many bay area homeowners might have to pay even if they can't see anything wrong with their house. that and more at 6. >> thanks for watching us at 5:00. "cbs evening news with scott pelley" is next. >> remember, the latest news and weather are always on cbssf.com. captions by: caption colorado comments@captioncolorado.com >> pelley: tonight, bombs in the bunker. the fbi finds explosives where a five-year-old was held in alabama. we've learned what led the gunman to attack a school bus in search of hostages. mark strassman and john miller have the story. prosecutors accuse one of the most trusted names on wall street of a massive fraud.et of a massive fraud.

pension funds and others may have lost billions. anthony mason reports. the boy scouts prepare to vote on whether to end its gays. john blackstone has the debate. and you've got to love todd love. the marine lost his legs and one arm, but chip reid found that's when his life really got started. >> i feel like i can do anything i can put my mind to. captioning sponsored by cbs this is the "cbs evening news" with scott pelley. >> pelley: good evening. hard to imagine what was going through the mind of jimmy lee dykes, but we are told tonight he had stored home-made bombs in his underground bunker where he held a five-year-old boy hostage. dykes was killed outside midland city, alabama, late yesterday when an fbi assault team attacked the bunker on dykes' property and rescued the hostage.